The 21st General Assembly of the World Council of Houses of the Azores (CMCA) will take place in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil between December 5 and 8 and will be attended by the Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, Rui Bettencourt.
 
For four days, the 14 Houses of the Azores from Canada, United States, Bermuda, Brazil, Uruguay and Mainland Portugal that make up the World Council will meet in several working sessions to assess the activities develop and analyse the main problems and challenges the Azorean communities are currently facing in the Diaspora.
 
The opening session will take place Wednesday, December 5, in Gravataí and will open with speeches by Rui Bettencourt and Carla Marques Gomes, President of the House of the Azores of Rio Grande do Sul, who also holds the presidency of CMCA. The event will be followed by internal working sessions and the presentation of activities developed by several Houses of the Azores.
 
On the following day, the works continue with the presentation of the activities carried out by the Houses of the Azores, followed by an internal session to analyse the present and future challenges of these institutions.
 
On Friday, December 7, the morning session will be dedicated to the Historic Centre of Santo António da Patrulha, where a meeting will be held with the Municipal Mayor, Daiçon Maciel da Silva. There is also a conference addressing the current context of Rio Grande do Sul and the Azorean presence.
 
The last day of the works will be marked by the delivery ceremony of CMCA merit medals, an event where the Houses of the Azores will pay tribute to various personalities and institutions as well as distinguish the 2018 "Quality Azorean Product."
 
On the occasion, the CMCA flag will also be passed on to the House of the Azores that will take over the presidency of the Council for the 2018/2019 term of office.
 
At the Regional Government's invitation, the works of the 21st General Assembly of the World Council of Houses of the Azores will also involve the participation of representatives of the political parties with seat at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
 
Founded in 1997, the World Council of Houses of the Azores comprises the Houses of the Azores of Northern Portugal, Lisbon and Algarve (Mainland Portugal), Winnipeg, Quebec and Ontario (Canada), Hilmar and New England (USA), Bermuda, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and Uruguay. The Regional Directorate for Communities is also a member of CMCA.
 
The CMCA aims to bring Azorean communities closer as well as to disseminate the Azores, the Azorean people and their culture among the populations of their respective areas of influence, promoting and developing activities that contribute to the affirmation of the Azores and their Diaspora. Furthermore, it also defends the interests of the Region and promotes social, cultural and economic relations between the archipelago and the territories where each institution is established.